Killing of Alton Sterling
On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was shot and killed by two Baton Rouge Police Department officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The officers, who were attempting to control Sterling's arms, shot Sterling to death, which was preceded by Salamoni threatening Sterling with his gun before Sterling was restrained, yelling that he would "shoot [Sterling] in the fucking head" if he moved. Police alleged that Sterling had reached for the loaded handgun in his pants pocket. Police were responding to a report that Sterling was selling CDs and that he had used a gun to threaten a man outside a convenience store. The owner of the store where the shooting occurred said that Sterling was "not the one causing trouble" during the situation that led to the police being called. The shooting was recorded by multiple bystanders.
Sterling during altercation | |
| Date | July 5, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Time | 12:35 a.m. |
| Duration | 90 seconds |
| Location | 2112 North Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 30°28′05″N 91°08′22″W |
| Type | Homicide by shooting, police killing |
| Filmed by | Bystander's mobile phone and security [cctv] cameras |
| Participants | Howie Lake II, Blane Salamoni (officers) |
| Outcome | Salamoni fired in 2017 |
| Deaths | Alton Sterling |
| Charges | None |
| Litigation | Lawsuit against city of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Police Department and officers settled for $4.5 million |
The shooting led to protests in Baton Rouge and a request for a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. In May 2017 they decided not to file criminal charges against the police officers involved. In response, Louisiana's attorney general, Jeff Landry, said the state of Louisiana would open an investigation into the shooting once the Department of Justice released the physical evidence. In March 2018, Landry's office announced it would not bring charges against the officers stating that they acted in a "reasonable and justifiable manner".
In February 2021, nearly five years after the shooting, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved a $4.5 million settlement for the family of Alton Sterling to settle a wrongful death suit. The family accepted the settlement a few months later and the case was closed.